Have you ever been invited to a casual party at a stranger’s house, and when you arrive, everyone is sitting around telling stories that are too incredible to believe? The story of legends, if you will. This is how I felt after seeing Robert Requejo Ramos’ documentary, South Beach Shark Club.
The South Beach Shark Club is the story of a group of friends living in the South Beach section of Miami. In 1970, the city was divided into a senior retirement community and the poor and impoverished youth living along Miami’s southernmost point. Then known as the South Beach Pier Rats, Rene De Dios, J.D. Hammer, and Shannon Bustamante were born out of the surf and skater communities before they chose to find fame as the greatest shark fisherman in the world.
The film surrounds the life and death of the club’s leader Rene De Dios. To say that Rene loved shark fishing is an understatement. He was passionate about it and strove to be the best in the world. He also didn’t take too kindly to competition. According to the club’s historian/storyteller, J.D. Hammer, Rene’s exploits were legendary. He looked danger straight in the face until his death when a great white shark dragged his boat underwater…the story of legends.
There are not a lot of frills to South Beach Shark Club as a documentary. Instead, the film consists primarily of talking-head interviews, archival news footage, and camcorder footage repurposed to tell a particular part of Rene De Dios’ life.

“…born out of the surf and skater communities before they chose to find fame as the greatest shark fisherman in the world.”
That said, I could sit back and listen for hours to J.D. Hammer and Shannon Bustamante’s captivating stories about Rene’s life, along with their not-so-tall tales and adventures. The film includes other members who came in and out of the club over the years, along with several of the youth that the three mentored, including William Fundora, Albert Poledri, Jorge Ramos, and an up-and-coming rival, Kevin Pagan.
Their stories are not just about Rene’s shark fishing adventures but about living in South Beach in the early days. As poor kids, they struggled to stay out of trouble, and shark fishing was how they did it. Then, as Rene and the others began finding fame, they never left South Beach because, for better or worse, it was home.
We also get a glimpse into how shark fishing shaped their personalities and gave them purpose in life. Competition spurred them on as the story of “I caught one this big” becomes the anecdote of the day.
To this day, J.D. and Shannon have taken their lifelong passion and passed it on to at-risk teens, who themselves are in need of focus, discipline, and direction in life. In case you’re wondering, their exploits are a conservation-minded, catch-and-release style of fishing.
In South Beach Shark Club, “legend” is a relative term and can be applied to a specific region of the world…even Miami. As stated in the documentary, legendary is defined by the stories being told, and documentarian Robert Requejo Ramos has found a treasure trove of stories suitable for your Shark Week pleasure.
For screening information, visit the South Beach Shark Club official website.